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Native to the Sonoran Desert, the Arizona bark scorpion is light brown in color and very small. Some homeowners in Arizona may come up against this pest on a regular basis, so it’s important to be educated about scorpions and know when it’s time to contact a professional for help getting rid of them.

Things to know about scorpions:

1. They eat other pests around and in your home

The scorpion is in or around your home to eat spiders and insects. They can go days without food but must have access to water regularly to survive.

2. Bark scorpions are nocturnal

This type of scorpion sleeps during the day and is active at night. This doesn’t mean that you won’t see them during the day if you accidentally stumble upon where they are hiding on. They prefer to hide under wood, debris, or rocks outside, and may also make a home in a tree somewhere on your property.

3. They can enter your home easily

The bark scorpion prefers to be outside hiding under rocks and logs, but may enter your house looking for prey in the summer when it’s hot. They get into the home through voids in the walls and can squeeze into tiny spaces.

4. They are easy to find

One of the lesser known facts about Arizona bark scorpion is that they glow in UV light. If you are hunting for scorpions, purchase a blacklight at your local hardware store and watch for them to glow.

5. They can be very dangerous

If you are stung by a scorpion, you could feel acute pain for up to three days. The affected area may also be numb and tingle for a while. Although fatalities are extremely rare, some people report convulsions and allergic reactions to scorpion bites.

Stings from the bark scorpion are extremely painful, and children and pets are more likely to experience life-threatening problems from them. If you or someone close to you has been bit by a scorpion, it’s a good idea to seek medical attention.

Call us for to schedule a free inspection

At Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services, we know all about scorpions, how they enter homes, and—most importantly—how to remove them safely. Contact us today to schedule a consultation

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Roof rats are a common pest throughout the Phoenix metro and Casa Grande. Their ability to easily travel from home to home makes this rodent a headache for homeowners. In this blog, we’ll review some of the signs you have roof rats — and when you need to call Arizona’s Best Choice for services.

#1. Half-eaten citrus around your home

One of the reasons that roof rats have flourished in the East Valley is because of the prevalence of backyard fruit trees, especially citrus trees. This provides the rats with a convenient food source close to warmth and shelter.

The rats typically will target the lowest hanging fruit—literally. They’ll eat oranges, lemons, and more that have fallen to the ground.

One of the most effective ways to determine if you have roof rats is to check the fruit that has fallen in your yard. If you’re noticing half-eaten fruit, or fruit with tiny bite marks in it, it might be a sign you have roof rats.

#2. You hear squeaking or scratching noises

Roof rats are generally not quiet pests. In the process of nesting, they’ll often make squeaking or scratching sounds. When it’s quiet at night, listen inside of your house.

If you hear noises that can’t be otherwise explained by your appliances, call Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite for a free pest inspection.

#3. Your pets are acting strangely

Take notes on the behavior of your pets. Both cats and dogs have far better hearing and noses than humans, and they’ll often detect the presence of roof rats in your attic before you do.

If they’re constantly staring up at the ceiling, seemingly barking or hissing at nothing, or are trying to get higher to smell, it could be a sign that something is up there worth checking out.

#4. You may see rat droppings

If you have roof rats, you may see rat droppings around your home, outside your home, or in your yard. These droppings may be near the dropped, eaten fruit mentioned in #1.

Reminder: rat droppings, urine, and nest can contain dangerous pathogens and bacteria that can make you very sick. So, keep your distance and call in the experts at Arizona Best Choice Pest & Termite Services.

#5. You may see the rats themselves

Roof rats are generally larger than common mice, and much of their diet—such as citrus and fruit dropped from trees—is found outside. That’s why many Valley homeowners find out they have roof rats by actually seeing one around their home, outside their home, or in a high place.

If you suspect that your Valley home has roof rats, contact us at Arizona’s Best Choice to schedule your free roof rat inspection. We’ll send one of our experienced techs out to your home to check for signs of roof rats and determine if further treatment is needed.

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We may live in a city named after a bird of mythology, but the most common bird in the Valley is probably the pigeon. You can find these pests all over parking lots, businesses, and parks. They may look innocent enough, but they’re actually a public nuisance. A pigeon infestation is bad news for businesses, homes, vehicles, and more.

If you own a business in the Valley or in Casa Grande, you need a professional to inspect for pigeons and help you develop a plan for dealing with these pests. Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite offers pigeon control services. Contact us for a free inspection.

How a pigeon infestation impacts your business

Businesses should not take a pigeon infestation lightly. Here are some of the ways in which a pigeon infestation can hurt your business.

1. Pigeons create a perception that your business is dirty

This isn’t to say that pigeon droppings and nests aren’t dirty. But, perception matters here. Even if the pigeons are just on the roof or hanging out by your front door, their presence could send the wrong messages to your customers and employees about the cleanliness of your business.

Customers may be hesitant to park in front of your business. Your employees might think about parking elsewhere and walking to work. That’s a lot of trouble caused by some birds, and it’s why we recommend that you invest in some pigeon deterrence from Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services.

2. They can damage your property

Pigeons aren’t just a blight for sight. Their droppings are highly acidic, and can actually damage the roof of your business over time. “Sure, but I rent.” Yes, but all those droppings can smell and make your roof less effective at dealing with rain, leading to a whole host of other problems and damages to your business.

For example, it’s common for pigeons to build nests in exposed roof drains and gutters. These nests can cause a “dam” effect, blocking the effective removal of water from the roof after a summer monsoon. All that extra weight can cause problems for your roof—and, in extreme cases, even a collapse.

3. Pigeons can pose a serious health risk

Not many people know that pigeons are a source of several infectious diseases, including bronchiolectosis, hypoxia, peribronchial fibrosis, pulmonary cysts, to name just a few. Theses diseases are mainly spread to humans through contact with feather dust, dried bird droppings, and mites.

If your business serves or prepares food, this problem is even more pronounced. You simply cannot have a pigeon infestation and expect your business to be as clean as you’d like it. You’ll need professional pigeon removal services.

4. They can damage vehicle and building paint

Those acidic droppings we mentioned earlier? That same property means they can really damage the paint on vehicles and buildings, causing significant property damage for you and your customers if left unchecked.

Often, the biggest problem is company cars and vehicles, which are constantly on-site—and, therefore, a consistent target for pigeons. You spent thousands wrapping and branding your business’ vehicles. It’s not worth it to let a pigeon ruin all that.

Call Arizona’s Best Choice for help with your business’ pigeon infestation

Pigeons might seem innocuous enough. They certainly don’t have as much bad publicity as other pests found here in the Valley. But, if you’re a business owner, you need to be ready to deal with pigeons quickly and effectively. For that, you’ll want the help of the experts at Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services.

We’re the best choice for pest control and pigeon control here in the Phoenix metro and in Casa Grande. Contact our team today to schedule your free pest inspection. We’ll help you develop a game plan for dealing with your pigeon problems.

https://www.azbestpest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1.png283283azbestpests/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo-azbestpest-new.pngazbestpests2018-01-17 07:24:312018-01-17 07:25:53Here's how a pigeon infestation can hurt your business

We’ve previously written about summer pests in Phoenix. However, just because temperatures are dropping as we enter winter doesn’t mean you can rest easy. There are multiple types of winter pests in Phoenix that you need to be aware of.

In this blog post, we’ll review five of the most common types of winter pests here in the Valley, and what you should do to deal with each of them.

The top 5 winter pests in Phoenix

Here are five of the most common winter pestsin Phoenix. If you spot these creepy-crawlies, call Arizona’s Best Pest & Termite Services for professional pest prevention and treatment.

1. Spiders

Spiders seek out the warmth of your home during the winters here in the Valley. Many spiders are harmless. The cellar spider—commonly known as the “Daddy Long-Legs Spider” in the United States—is an example of a spider that poses no threat to humans, but is a predator to other insects. Unless you’re an arachnophobe, we recommend leaving them be.

The same is not true for two other species: the black widow and the brown recluse, both found here in Arizona. These spiders love to make their winter homes in Phoenix garages, attics, and other secluded spaces. As venomous species, both can pose a threat to you and your family.

If you spot either the black widow—one of the most recognizable spiders in the world—or the brown recluse, call Arizona’s Best Choice for service.

2. Ants

Ants are less active outside during the winter, as they tend to hibernate under the ground during the colder months. However, once inside your home, ants feel the warmth and begin to start their foraging behaviors. In this way, ants can be one of the more surprising winter pests in Phoenix.

A winter ant infestation is typically a sign that the colony is well-built and somewhere in close proximity to your home. Give us a call for a free pest inspection, and we’ll advise you on the best way to deal with the ants.

3. Termites

This is the big one. Winters in Phoenix, Arizona are termite season, as it’s when termites are most active. Elsewhere around North America, nightly frosts can claim the lives of entire termite colonies. However, the mild winter weather here in the Valley and the warmth of your home is enough for the termites to thrive and multiply.

Termites require immediate treatment from a professional team. Left to their own devices, drywood termites can damage or destroy your home. Look for the signs of subterranean termites in your home, and then give us a call for a free termite inspection.

4. Cockroaches

Cockroaches are primarily a summer pest in Phoenix. However, drawn in by the warmth of your home, they may also be seen in the winter in your house. Besides being completely disgusting, roaches carry a large number of microbial pathogens, including salmonella, streptococcus, and Staphylococcus.

If you suspect your home has roaches, call in our team—even in the colder months, roaches can multiply and become a big headache for you and your home.

5. Small Rodents

Small rodents, such as mice and rats, are also active inside the house during the winters. These pests can seek shelter inside the house to avoid the cold. Much like roaches, rodents pose a health risk because of the different pathogens they carry. You need to be vigilant when the weather changes and temperature decreases.

Contact Arizona’s Best Pest for pest control services in Phoenix

For affordable and effective control of winter pests in Phoenix, Arizona, contact the team here at Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services. We have highly experienced and professional pest control experts who can eliminate all types of pests around the house.

To get in contact with us, call us at (480) 986-8500 or contact us online.

Weeds: Nothing is quite as capable of destroying your weekend than having to sit out in the yard and yank these pesky plants out of the ground. Weed killer only works sometimes, and they seem to crop up soon after they are ripped apart from the ground.

However, proper weed control is essential. Weeds suck important nutrients from the ground needed by other plants. Left untreated, weeds soon spread over the entire lawn.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss why you should call us at Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite services for effective weed services. For a free weed inspection, call us at (480) 986-8500 or contact us online.

Why you need to deal with weeds (with more than just weed killer)

Against a wide variety of weeds, your average store-bought weed killer doesn’t stand a chance. You have two choices: you can break your back pulling weeds out of your yard every weekend, or you can treat weeds like the pests they are by calling us. We have solutions for weeds that get rid of them for good.

Here are three big reasons why you should take weeds seriously:

#1. Weeds can destroy your yard (and the environment)

The impact of a weed infestation in your yard go far beyond just having an upset HOA fine you—although that happens, too! In fact, weeds can destroy your yard’s beauty, reducing it to an embarrassing dead patch. Here’s why.

One of the things that makes weeds so successful is that they are competitors. They have evolved specifically to fight for space and the right to grow and thrive. For plants, that means having access to water, nutrients, and sunlight.

Weeds are ruthless in this regard. They aggressively steal nutrients from the soil needed by your grass, trees, or bushes. They soak up water, denying it to the other plants. And, given enough time, they grow tall enough to choke off their competitors from sunlight, killing them and leaving more of everything for themselves.

Here in Arizona, many yards make use of native plants, including cacti, palo verde trees, and more. Unlike invasive weed species—including Prickly Acacia, Gorse, Mesquite, and Parkinsonia—they’re not built for that level of competition. They need help.

#2. Weeds can provide safe harbor for pests

A weed invasion changes the balance of ecological communities. Birds, lizards, and native insects are not able to thrive in a weed-filled environment, while other, hardier survivors succeed in their absence. Without birds or lizards to keep them in check, crickets, ants, and roaches profligate.

In this way, a weed infestation can actually trigger a different kind of pest infestation in your home.

#3. Some weeds can trigger allergies

Not many people know that weeds can also adversely affect human health. Certain weed species—such as Ragweed, Parthenium Weed, Privet, and Ryegrass—can cause respiratory issues and asthma, particularly in senior individuals and children. Others trigger allergies in the spring, making your life miserable. You need weed control.

Store-bought weed killer often isn’t enough

Now that we’ve reviewed some of the things that make weeds a serious problem, let’s turn our attention to dealing with the said problem.

Here’s the bad news: if you’re relying on store-bought weed killer to get the job done, you might need to keep waiting. Weed killer is treating the symptom. To treat the disease, you need the advice and tools of a professional weed control specialist at Arizona’s Best Choice.

Our certified technicians have experience dealing with all kinds of weeds. We know where to spray, how to spray, and what to do to kill weeds without ruining your yard or negatively impacting the environment.

Pests are gross. There’s little disagreement on that subject. You don’t want them in your house, period. In this blog, we’ll discuss six ways to help ensure that you have a pest-free home. Here are our tips:

#1. Keep your entire house clean

The best and the most reliable way to get a pest-free house is to keep your home clean. An unclean and cluttered house can become an incubator for pests. Pests thrive in such conditions.

Make sure that you clean your house every day or every other day. Mop your floors with disinfectants weekly. Dry clean your carpets, rugs, and curtains every few months. Keep up with all these cleaning routines, and your home is less likely to face any pest problems.

#2. A clean kitchen increases your chances of a pest-free home

Kitchens are among the favorite places for pests to flourish and spread. Kitchens have a slightly higher temperature than the rest of the house, they have more moisture, and there is food there. All of these combine to give insects and vermin an ideal place to call home.

Don’t leave your kitchen cabinets and counters soggy or covered in food. Make sure that you are not leaving any unwashed dishes in your kitchen sink overnight because it will lead to infestation. Also keep all the food items in air tight jars in the kitchen. Cleaning all the clutter from your kitchen is also important because it will give pests fewer places to hide.

#3. Look out for cracks and openings

No matter how clean your house is, if there are even small cracks in and around your house, then the time is not far away when your house will be hosting unwanted guests. Make sure to seal and close all such openings, otherwise all your cleaning efforts will go in vain. Arizona’s Best Pest & Termite offers home sealing services.

#4. Take care of your pet’s health

Taking care of your pets is also an important, as well. Having them scheduled for regular veterinary appointments will help keep them free from any infestation. Some of these infestations could spread around the house and compromise your health, too.

In addition, don’t keep pet food in the open where it is easily accessible to pests.

#5. Dispose of garbage regularly

Pests love garbage. And if you are not disposing your household garbage daily, you are inviting rats, cockroaches, and more to come into your house. You don’t want that!

#6. Know when to wave the white flag and call Arizona’s Best Pest & Termite for a pest-free home

Even after doing all the preventive measures listed above, there’s still a chance that your house can get infested with pests. If you notice that usual do-it-yourself pest control techniques aren’t working, then it’s time to call a professional pest control company.

If you suspect you have pests, give our team a call. We offer free pest control inspections in the Phoenix metro area, and we can provide you with professional pest and termite control services. We have specialized treatments for a number of different pests.

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The Arizona bark scorpion is well known for its venomous sting. The sting of the bark scorpion can be very dangerous, particularly for children and seniors.

They are common in the hot, desert climate of central Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix metro area. They are most common in the summer.

Arizona bark scorpions are a dangerous nuisance around the house. In this article, we will provide information about these scorpions, and the steps you can do to remove the threat from around the house.

Get to know the Arizona bark scorpion

Arizona bark scorpions generally grow to a size of up to 3 inches long. They’re not the largest scorpion around, but don’t let their size fool you. They’re still more dangerous than many larger scorpion species.

They are generally brownish-yellow in color and feature dark, lengthwise bands. Unlike some other types of scorpions, the bark scorpions have thick lobster-like pincers. The pincers of the scorpions are elaborate in size while the tail is slender with a sting at the end.

In the wild, Arizona bark scorpions are usually found under crevices, rocks, and in trees. However, sometimes they also make their home indoors, particularly in the drawers, tubs, sinks, and cabinets. They are active at night and generally ambush their prey. As predators, they hunt roaches, crickets, and other insects.

Bark scorpions can climb

Unique to scorpions, Arizona bark scorpions are capable climbers, and can even hang upside down from a ceiling. They can climb walls and other objects having rough surfaces. However, they cannot climb smooth surfaces such as the glass.

That’s led to an old Arizonan DIY trick of putting the legs of baby’s cribs in glass mason jars, so that scorpions cannot climb into the crib. (Personally, we’d rather just take steps to get rid of the scorpions!)

A painful sting

Bark scorpions tend to prefer areas with access to prey and water. They prefer to hide and run. They’re not aggressive by default toward humans, but they can attack when they feel threatened or cornered.

The sting of the bark scorpion is painful. Symptoms include numbness in the affected area, difficult breathing, frothing at the mouth, muscle twitching, and possibly convulsions. Allergic individuals are especially at risk.

While the Arizona bark scorpion is considered potentially deadly, there have been very few deaths in Arizona from a bark scorpion since data began being tracked in the 1960s.

How to detect and remove a bark scorpion infestation

Bark scorpions tend to slip between tiny cracks inside the foundation of the house (This is one of the reasons that home sealing is an effective deterrent to scorpion entry). Other hiding places include kitchen cabinets, spaces under the cabinets, shelves, and closets.

Bark scorpions have another unique property: they glow brightly when exposed to UV light, such as that from a common blacklight. This means they’re easy to spot at night in a dark room.

An experienced scorpion control professional can make a thorough investigation to detect bark scorpions inside the home. If a scorpion is found, the professional will try to catch the scorpion while wearing the protective gloves and clothing.

The pest control professional can also use a spray in hard-to-reach places where the scorpions might be hiding. They can also eliminate the food source of the scorpions such as spiders and crickets from the house to get rid of the scorpion problem for good.

Give our team a call

Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services can provide you with experienced and trusted professionals who can get rid of bark scorpions in Arizona. The professionals can detect the presence of the scorpion inside the house, and get rid of the threat in an environmentally friendly and safe manner.

Contact Us

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to schedule your free scorpion inspection.

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Termites are found almost everywhere in the world. They are a menace to deal if they colonize inside the house. A colony of termites can cause major damage that can cost hundreds of dollars to the house owner. The termites eat anything made of wood including doors, frames, chairs, tables, and other items made of wood.

Most people have come across drywood termites that are the standard invasive species eating the woods inside the house. However, a totally different species of termites also exist, known as subterranean termites, that can destroy the house from top to bottom.

Subterranean termites: An introduction

Subterranean termites are particularly common in the southeastern parts of the United States, but can also be found in Arizona and the Southwest. These termites like to feed on moist wood located on the ground. They are especially fond of studs and other part of the house that have been exposed to moisture.

Unlike drywood termites, the subterranean termites tend to reside on the ground. They come out enjoy feasting on wood structure of the house before going back into the tunnels. A tell-tale sign of these invaders include mud tunnels that they build from their underground home to the moist wood that they like to eat. The tunnels protect them from predators and also from drying out.

How to protect your home against a subterranean termite infestation

Keep soil, stacked wood, and other debris away from the foundation of the home. This will reduce the chances of subterranean termites infecting your house.

You should look for mud tunnels that indicate the presence of the termite infestation. Look at the foundation of the home to find out whether mud shelter tubes are present.

The termite shelter tubes are hollow soil tunnels that extend from the sold to the house. It serves as a tunnel through which termites travel and carry the food supply. In case you find this unusual mud structure, you should let a professional exterminator examine your house.

An important point to keep in mind is that once the property has been treated of termite infestation, you should not think that the termites won’t attack the house again. Annual inspection of the property by a professional is important as it will ensure that the house becomes protected from the scourge of subterranean infestation.

Call Arizona’s Best Choice for help from a professional

If you suspect that your house has been infected with subterranean infestation, the first thing that you should do is to call a termite control company. The professional will inspect the property and take instant action to remove the termite infestation from the house.

Suspect that you have termites? Give us a call!

To get in touch with professional subterranean termite control experts in the area of Arizona, you can contact Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services. We use environmentally friendly products to clean the pests. All our treatments are safe and approved by the EPA.

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Drywood termites—as the name itself might suggest—feed on dry wood. The termites establish colonies in structural wood, furniture moldings, fence and utility posts, window and door frames, and many more places.

It’s not easy to detect a drywood termite infestation. However, there are certain signs that termites leave that can signify of a possible termite infestation. We’ll review that in this blog post.

If you suspect that you have termites, give Arizona Best Choice Pest Control a call for your free termite inspection. Contact us.

Where do drywood termites live?

Drywood termites are found in coastal regions in the south and southwestern part of the United States. However, in rare cases, these termite infestations can also occur in the northern part of the country as well.

Unlike most termites that build colonies in the moist soil and prefer to eat damp wood, drywood termites can thrive in dry places as well, and specialize in eating bone-dry wood. This makes Arizona homes a tasty target.

How to detect a drywood termite infestation

Drywood termites live mostly within the wood on which they feed. They can be found inside built-in cabinets, furniture, door and window frames, exposed beams, window paneling, and baseboards around the perimeter of your home.

After a colony of termites has taken up residence inside the house, they can go undetected for years as they burrow into the wood. Only once the pests have done significant damage to the wood are they noticed by the homeowners.

That being said, there are certain telltales signs that can indicate the presence of a termite infestation.

Drywood termites extract water from the feces. This result in a unique fecal pellet called frass. The pellets are hexagonal in shape and are about 1 mm long. If you see these small pellets near furniture items inside the house, your home may be infested by drywood termites. You should contact a termite control professional as soon as you find the pellets to detect and remove termite infestation.

Another telltale sign of a termite colony are mud tunnels. The termites build mud tunnels that connect the nest to their food source (wood). The appearance of mud tunnels is a clear indication of a termite infestation that needs to be removed by a pest control professional.

The tunnels may contain wood-like broken fecal materials. You can break open the tunnels to find out if the termites are active inside.

The third telltale sign of drywood termite infestation include swarms of winged insects. The winged insects are a group of male and female termites that usually occur during four or five years after a termite infestation. They fly in search for a new colony of the termites. Swarming usually occurs during spring and autumn seasons. Also, the swarms of winged drywood termites usually occur during the rainy season.

Final words of advice!

Keep in mind that removing a drywood termite infestation is not a DIY project. Only a pest control expert can remove the termite infestation and keep termites from re-infesting your home.

The professional can quickly locate the source of the infestation and take steps to eliminate the colony from the house. What’s more, the pest control professional can treat the affected areas inside the house so that termite infestation does not occur again.

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